Alaskan Tax Payers Pay the Price for Palin’s TLC Show

Even before the election of November of 2008 we knew that Palin promoted herself as a fiscal “conservative.” She proclaimed that she was opposed to earmarks and wasteful governmental spending.  Since she is no longer a politician, we can only look to her limited time serving as Mayor of Wasilla, and Governor of Alaska, to determine whether she is in fact a fiscal conservative.  Sometimes the truth hurts, and Palin is in a lot of pain right now.  She repeatedly  demonstrated her improvident use of taxpayers’ money.  Just a few examples include : (1) While Governor Palin authorized the construction of a road that would be totally useless.  The Road to Nowhere was a road she knew would have no use as it led to the edge of a cliff.  That road was identified by the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project, a group promoting “sensible transportation systems in the state,” as an “irresponsible waste.”  Hayasaki, Erika, Palin said yes to a road to nowhere, Los Angeles Times, Sept 19, 2008, http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/19/nation/na-bridge. (2) As the mayor of Wasilla she hired a lobbyist and obtained $27,000,000 from the federal government for the small town of Wasilla.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103148.html.  (3) As the Governor, she sought and obtained millions of dollars in federal earmarks for the funding of the study of the genetic make-up of harbor seals, and the mating habits of crab in Alaska.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JdJqh8k9cE.

The truth is that Sarah Palin is a spendthrift.  While Mayor of Wasilla, she repeatedly demonstrated her commitment to wasteful spending.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6SeDXqd-g.  With her “common sense conservative” approach to governance, Wasilla’s debt rose from approximately $1,000,000 when she took office to almost $22,000,000 when she left office, an increase of 2200%.  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/03/postpalin-alaska-largest-debt-burden.  In her short time to serve as Governor of Alaska, she was able to increase the debt of Alaska, and ensure Alaska’s dominance as the state with the highest state debt burden in the United States, with a 70% debt-to-GDP ratio.  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/03/postpalin-alaska-largest-debt-burden.  Palin is no longer the Mayor, Governor, or a politician of any kind.  Yet she continues to cause Alaskan taxpayers to spend huge amounts of their tax dollars, but now the dollars go to directly to Sarah Palin, instead of her town or state.

In her short time as Governor, Palin approved a new law that provided for the state funding of movies/films/television shows filmed in Alaska. The Alaska Film Production Incentive Program was created to encourage growth of the film industry in Alaska. Applicants could qualify for up to 44% in a transferable tax credit on production expenditures in Alaska.  http://www.afci.org/incentives/north_america.html;  http://www.film.alaska.gov/.  That 44% expressly included money paid to Alaska residents who are involved in the making of the film.  http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/oed/film/incentive-faq.html;  http://www.film.alaska.gov/incentive-program.html.  Thus it appears that TLC would be entitled to realize a tax credit of 44% of Palin’s $250,000 fee paid for each show. http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/first-look-sarah-palins-alaska-hurts-to-watch#.  Palin is under contract to make 8 shows.  Thus the direct cost to Alaska taxpayers, just for Sarah Palin’s fees for the making of these shows would be roughly $880,000.00.  Of course the total cost to Alaska for the filming of these shows would far exceed the fees paid directly to Palin.  Thus the people of Alaska are funding $880,000 for Sarah Palin  to make a political film, promoting herself, in spite of her claim that she is a fiscal conservative, and in spite of her efforts to defeat the fiscally conservative Republican incumbent Senator from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski. 

 If you are liberal in your political views, you need to “Just Say No to B.S.”  If you are a conservative, and support a fiscal conservative agenda, you need to “Just Say No to B.S.”

(post coming later this am regarding the TLC show last night)